Wednesday Tech Tips: More Free Books!

Last week's WTT covered two easy-peasey ways to read books for free and without too much hassle.  This week we are going to go down the rabbit hole and learn how to download ebooks from the library.

This is more involved and hopefully I won't be too crap at explaining it.  Honestly, it has been a real trial for me learning how to download books successfully using our e-media host, OverDrive, so if you run into problems, step back and take some deep breaths before punching out your computer.

The good news is, there is now an option for reading an available e-book immediately without having to download anything!  You can also download titles directly to your e-reader, MP3 player, or phone, but this may require installing software.  Take a look at your options and decide how you want to proceed.

One thing you ARE going to need?  Your library card and PIN number.  You can check out up to 5 titles.  The nice bit is, you don't have to remember to bring them back, they will automatically *poof!* from your account on their due date.  Of course, if you space out and forget when they're due back you may get cut off mid-read, but thems the breaks.

OK!  Let's just go through getting a book onto your computer.

(1) Head on over to the Minuteman catalog.  (I'm using the classic format, because I'm OLD SCHOOL.)  Center bottom of the page you'll find a menu with the option for the Digital Media Catalog.  You can even go straight on through to the Teens Digital Media Catalog if you so choose.

(2) Here we are!  You can browse the jacket art, or start narrowing your search.  I'm going to select "Teen Fiction."

Let's look only at what is available.

and e-books instead of audiobooks.

Results!

(3) Now I'm making a selection -- I'm going to go with Fat Vampire.

(Skipping all the log-in pages, that's pretty self explanatory.)


(4) Here's where you decide whether to read it right now in your Internet browser, or download to either a Kindle or...whatever else you got.

 

 

(5) Because I already have Adobe Digital Editions on my computer my book will just open up there.

 

 

 

Not so terrible after all!  The insta-read feature is a nice addition, since the library computers aren't going to let you download a mess of software. 

 

I am experimenting with downloading straight to my phone; if anyone has any advice or dreadful disasters, please share them with us.

 

I hope this is a good start for everyone!  Even if you prefer to read analog books, give this a try.  You never know when the option might come in handy.





Wednesday Tech Tips: E-Readin'

What's up, guys?  Did you know you can borrow a Nook e-reader from the library?  It is awfully nice to have if you're going away for a few days and don't know what you're in the mood for.  You can't download titles yourself, but each device is pre-loaded with a selection of in-demand books.

Stephen Collins: www.colillo.com

And we have two dedicated to YA reads, with a third on the way!  Want to spend the whole weekend reading everything by John Green or Allyson Condie?  Now you can, without toting around 50 pounds.  Plus, there are short novellas from your favorite series that are only available electronically -- we've got those too!  If there is a book you think we should put on the Nook, please tell us.

 

*****

If you've got a smartphone there are a slew of books you can read for free.  Remember a few weeks back when we were talking about copyright?  Mercifully, many many great books (some of which you may be reading for a class) are in THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.  Usually because the author is dead, but sometimes because an author will voluntarily make his or her book available.  In either case, this is why you can download them for free and why they will be made into BBC miniseries, world without end.

 

I read ebooks mostly on my smartphone because it is just easier.  You install an app, you browse around, you download a book = DONE.  Google Books is good; I also use Moon+ Reader and Aldiko.

 

*****

Next week I will talk about Overdrive and how you can "check out" e-books for free from the library.  Bring a snack, because it is going to take a while.

 

 

Alice in Wonderland

Now that I've recovered from Mr. Downey as Mr. Holmes, I'm looking forward to Tim Burton's interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. If you've never read the book, or would like to read it again before seeing the movie, you're in luck! Not only can you find it for FREE here at the library, you can find it for FREE online.

Public domain, people. Love it. Couple of options here:

http://manybooks.net/titles/carrolll1903319033-8.html

http://www.authorama.com/alice-in-wonderland-1.html


You can also listen to the book as a podcast:

Why not act out the story yourself? This is a gorgeous online reproduction of the dramatization by Alice Gerstenberg.

“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.

“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”

“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.

“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”

-maya